Overview
- Nicksick confirmed he will corner Strickland in the Feb. 21 main event in Houston against Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez.
- The reconciliation follows post-UFC 312 friction, when Nicksick called Strickland’s performance “uninspired” and Strickland suggested the coach would not be in his corner.
- Strickland says he broke his shoulder in a motorcycle incident before UFC 312, pursued stem-cell treatment in Colombia, and accepted the rematch under promotional pressure.
- His layoff also included a six-month suspension over a post-fight altercation at a Tuff-N-Uff event, with the ban ending in December.
- Hernandez enters on a long winning streak that Nicksick calls “championship caliber,” and Strickland has framed the bout as a No. 1 contender opportunity in a division now topped by Khamzat Chimaev.